When a London bus takes a detour to an alien world, the Doctor must join forces with the extraordinary Lady Christina, in this one-off seasonal special. But the mysterious planet holds terrifying secrets, hidden in the sand. And time is running out, as the deadly Swarm gets closer...

Trivia

This episode is the first of four specials, marking the end of David Tennant's tenure as the Tenth Doctor.

This episode was also the last chance for the Tenth Doctor 'to have fun', according to David Tennant, who suggested that things are going to take a turn for the worse for the Time Lord after this adventure, as he approaches his regeneration.

This episode is the first Doctor Who episode to be filmed and broadcast in HD.

This episode also marks the first time a story has been co-written by two writers.

When the double decker bus arrived at the docks in Dubai, a crane operator was accidentally dropped on top of it, resulting in mass damage. While the press back in the UK were describing the incident as a disaster, and claiming that filming had to be cancelled, Russell T Davies later confirmed that it was blown out of proportion, and a quick script rewrite that took all of 30 seconds incorporated the damaged bus into the story.

Memorable Quotes

The Doctor: People have travelled with me and I've lost them. Lost them all. Never again.

Lady Christina: We could have been so good together!The Doctor: Oh, Christina! We were!

Carmen: Doctor, you take care now. The Doctor: You too. Chops and gravy - lovely! Carmen: No, but you be careful. Because your song is ending, sir. The Doctor: What do you mean? Carmen: It is returning. It is returning through the dark. And then, Doctor... Oh but then... he will knock four times.

Setting: London, 2009. The Doctor, the bus and the rest of its passengers are transported to the Scorpion Nebula, located on the other side of the Universe. The bus travels through a wormhole and lands on the planet of San Helios, which has been ravaged by the Swarm and everything that it was is now dust and sand.

Filming: Filming for this episode began on 19th January 2009 and wrapped on 14th February 2009. Scenes for the opening sequence inside the International Gallery were filmed at the National Museum of Wales, and scenes at the tunnel were shot at Butetown Tunnel in Cardiff. Filming also took place in Dubai.

WhovianNet is an unofficial Doctor Who fansite. We are not endorsed by or affiliated with the BBC or any other companiesconnected with Doctor Who and its spin-offs. The official site can be found at bbc.co.uk/doctorwho.